In Animal Farm, Old Major established the ideals of animalism that animals were comrades and men are enemies. He warned the animals never to become like men, which of course they (the elite few pigs including Napoleon) do just that. Old Major also said that man is the only one who consumes without producing. Eventually, Napoleon and his cohorts become guilty of the same thing. An implication of this is the idea that too much power leads to corruption.

The other animals allow themselves to be deceived, as those in power adhere less and less to Animalism's original ideals, because of the power of propaganda. First, Squealer is able to mitigate the other animals' complaints about the pigs eating all the apples and the milk, telling them that since the pigs are the brains behind the revolution, it is in the best interest of all the animals that the pigs get this privilege. The other animals are not just ignorant; they are trusting. Squealer also uses fear to reinforce the pigs' authority by threatening the return of Jones ( This occurs at the end of Chapter 3).

Most significantly, some of the animals can't learn the Seven Commandments of Animalism by heart and others can't read, so they just have to trust in what the pigs are saying. This shows how a lack of education among the masses allows an elite to more easily oppress and manipulate them. As the pigs become more human and more oppressive, they actually change the commandments, which goes unnoticed by many of the animals.